Apple Cartons
State favours private firms, allege growers
Shimla, October 10
Alleging a nexus between apple carton manufactures and the BJP government in the state, Himachal Pradesh Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Confederation members today said nodal agencies like the HPMC made only token supply of packaging material to help the favoured private companies.
General secretary of the confederation Sanjay Chauhan said apple growers suffered a loss of about Rs 200 per box during the current harvesting season because of mismanagement by the government.

Centre ignores state’s plea on restricting mining area
Shimla, October 10
The Centre has ignored the state’s plea for restricting the minimum mining area to contain the environmental fall out of mining activity in the state where land is extremely scarce.
The state had suggested that the minimum area for mining projects should not exceed one hectare in view of the non-availability of land. Also, it should effectively address the environmental concerns but as per the Draft Mines and Minerals (Development and
Regulation) (MMDR) Bill, 2010, approved by the Group of Ministers, the minimum area has been kept 5 hectares.

PERFECT 10: A digital screen displays the combination of 10th date, 10th month (October) and year 2010
at the Ridge in Shimla on Sunday. Tribune photo: Amit Kanwar

Pull up socks, CM asks Nagrota Bagwan unit
Dharamsala, October 10
Recent visit of Chief Minister PK Dhumal to Tanda medical college has exposed weakness of the party in Nagrota Bagwan Assembly constituency. The constituency is presently represented by former Congress minister GS Bali.

Van thanas to function on police pattern
Shimla, October 10
Van thanas will function on the pattern of police stations and the forest staff deployed there will don khaki uniform, much like the police. The only difference will be that shoulder badges they wear will have “van thana” inscribed on them.

CM hails Vijay’s victory at Games
Shimla, October 10
Chief Minister PK Dhumal has congratulated ace shooter Vijay Kumar Sharma for winning three golds and one silver at the Commonwealth Games (CWG). Dhumal called him and greeted him on telephone.

CPM mocks apple manure proposal
Shimla, October 10
State Secretariat of the CPM has ridiculed the proposal to make organic manure from rotten apples and said that it was an admission of the of fact that the government agencies had failed to transport the fruit procured under the market intervention scheme (MIS).

Pedalling the green message
Dharamsala, October 10
The Women’s Environment and Development Desk (WEDD) of the Tibetan Women’s Association (TWA) today carried out a local initiative to combat the carbon crisis threatening planet earth and its inhabitants.
At a “Mass Cycle Rally”, 35 cyclists comprising men, women and children of different nationalities, donned T-shirts and badges carrying the message “It is time for Climate Justice” and pedalled through streets of McLeodganj.
Ten Buddhist nuns flagged off the rally today at the main McLeodganj crossing. The cyclists then headed to the landmark Bhagsu Waterfall and ended the rally at the main temple of the Dalai Lama.

Riders participate in a cycle rally at McLeodganj on Sunday. Photo: Kamaljeet

Cong opposes closure of carton factory
Shimla, October 10
Vehemently opposing the government’s proposal of setting up an engineering college at the site of Gumma carton factory at Pragatinagar, the Congress today said it would take action against any such move as it was against the interest of the growers.

DIVINE TOUCH

An artisan gives finishing touches to an idol of Goddess Durga at Kalibari temple in Shimla on Sunday.
Tribune photo: Amit Kanwar

Infant killed in mishap
Solan, October 10
A one-year-old infant, Manohar Kumar, was killed after he was crushed under a JCB machine at a brick kiln near Dhabota village in the Nalagarh subdivision today.

Erstwhile Sirmour state gets modern ‘stamp’
Shimla, October 10
Considered the most attractive stamp issued by princely states prior to the Independence, postage stamps of erstwhile princely state of Sirmour in Himachal form part of the four stamps released by the Postal Department on October 6.

NABARD’s nod to finance hydel projects sought
Dharamsala, October 10
The Kangra Central Cooperative Bank (KCC) has once again sought permission from NABARD for financing micro-hydel projects. Chairman of the bank RS Mankotia told The Tribune that the bank had sent the case earlier, too, on the recommendation of the state government, the proposal was, however, rejected.

24/7 free delivery service a far cry
No gynaecolgists, nurses in health centresKuldeep Chauhan
Mandi, October 10
Expectant mothers in the poverty-stricken pockets of Karsog and Chauhar valley and Kupvi in Chopal is a neglected lot despite an announcement of providing 24X7 free delivery service by Chief Minister PK Dhumal on August 15 under the National Rural Health Mission
(NHRM).

NH traffic held up for 4 hoursSolan, October 10
Commuters plying on the National Highway -22 between Parwanoo and Pinjore had a harrowing experience last evening as the traffic was held up for over four hours, leading to queuing up of vehicles for several
kilometres. The traffic had to be put on hold at Kalka, Pinjore and Parwanoo around 5.30 pm as a religious procession was being taken through the main road at Kalka.Traffic jam on the NH-22 in Kalka on Saturday.
A Tribune photograph

Shimla, October 10
Alleging a nexus between apple carton manufactures and the BJP government in the state, Himachal Pradesh Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Confederation members today said nodal agencies like the HPMC made only token supply of packaging material to help the favoured private companies.

General secretary of the confederation Sanjay Chauhan said apple growers suffered a loss of about Rs 200 per box during the current harvesting season because of mismanagement by the government. The growers lost over Rs 700 crore on this account and they had to pay Rs 13 to Rs 20 more per carton to make available the packaging material.

Only 7 lakh cartons were supplied which came to just 2 per cent of the requirement. Private parties supplied the remaining 98 per cent, charging Rs 45 to 55 for the carton priced at Rs 32 to 34 and Rs 800 for a bundle of tray costing Rs 350.

No steps were taken despite the hue and cry raised by growers, clearly indicating a nexus between the manufacturers and the government. The systematic closure of state-owned carton manufacturing unit at Gumma was only to help the cartel of private suppliers, they added.

Shortage of trucks and bad condition of roads forced the growers to pay through their nose. Moreover, there was overcharging of freight, even though the administration had fixed rates for transportation for different markets. The growers had to pay three to four times freight fixed by the administration. Simultaneously, bad conditions of roads added to their woes as unending traffic jams delayed transportation to market and overripe apple fetched much lower prices, causing losses to growers. Out of 70,000 tonnes of fruit procured under the market intervention scheme, almost 80 per cent was rotting by the roadside as government agencies could not transport it. The loss on this account would come to over Rs 30
crore.

He urged the government to fix the responsibility for the mismanagement and hefty losses suffered by growers and ensure that they were adequately compensated.

The apple growers suffered a loss of about Rs 200 per box during the current harvesting season because of mismanagement by the government. The growers lost over Rs 700 crore on this account and they had to pay Rs 13 to
Rs 20 more per carton to make available the packaging material.

Shimla, October 10
The Centre has ignored the state’s plea for restricting the minimum mining area to contain the environmental fall out of mining activity in the state where land is extremely scarce.

The state had suggested that the minimum area for mining projects should not exceed one hectare in view of the non-availability of land. Also, it should effectively address the environmental concerns but as per the Draft Mines and Minerals (Development and
Regulation) (MMDR) Bill, 2010, approved by the Group of Ministers, the minimum area has been kept 5 hectares.

The main reason for the state government insisting on restricting the minimum area was that almost 38 per cent of the geographical area is classified as forest land and there is hardly any land available there. As a result, it was facing problems
in providing suitable land even for institutions like Central University.

However, Controller General of the Indian Bureau of Mines CS Gundewar, who was here to launch a fortnight-long campaign against illegal mining, said the main reason for having a large area was to ensure that enough area was available for scientific excavation, dumping of muck and afforestation.

He said the state could allocate the 5-hectare site to about six parties who could use common dumping sites and take other measures to mitigate the environmental concerns. He said Himachal might have a valid point but no other state had objected to the provision of
minimum land.

The provision of making it mandatory for the developer of the mine to share 26 per cent profit with the local community whose land was acquired for the project would go a long way
in ensuring adequate compensation for the affected people.

With the new Act in place, it would be possible to effectively check illegal mining across the country.

However, the Centre was confined to the role of regulating mining of major minerals while the states had the full authority to regulate the mining of minor minerals like sand, stone and grit, which were used directly without processing.

The bureau had stepped up inspections to check violations of law and it had conducted task force for the purpose that was working with the help satellite imageries.Already 212 mines in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Jharkhand and Gujarat had been inspected and mining activities had been suspended in 82 cases. Further, the bureau had recommended termination of mining leases in three cases and issued show-cause notices for minor violations in 64 cases.

The reason for alloting 5-hectare site instead of one hectare, as sought by the state, is to provide enough area for scientific excavation, dumping of muck and afforestation

Dharamsala, October 10
Recent visit of Chief Minister PK Dhumal to Tanda medical college has exposed weakness of the party in Nagrota Bagwan Assembly constituency. The constituency is presently represented by former Congress minister GS Bali.

Tanda medical college, that falls in Nagrota Bagwan constituency, has been a place where the ruling BJP and Opposition Congress led by Bali have always tried to run each other down. The government has tried to list its achievements in most of the programmes organised at Tanda medical college in the past two years.

However, Bali manages to steal the show each time by arriving at the venue of official functions along with his supporters.

In the programme organised on Tuesday last week, Dhumal was at Tanda medical college to inaugurate various infrastructure facilities that had come up in the institute. However, Bali arrived at the scene along with his supporters.

He lamented the fact on stage that the organisers had not invited him for the function despite he being the local MLA. He also demanded that locals, whose lands were acquired by the government for Tanda medical college, should be given class IV jobs in the institute.

Dhumal, however, salvaged the situation. He said land for Tanda medical college was acquired during the Congress regime. He asked Bali to produce any notification issued by the previous government in which locals were promised jobs in lieu of land.

Meanwhile, according to sources, the CM met senior functionaries and ministers from Kangra after the function. He reportedly chided local unit of the BJP from Nagrota Bagwan for its weakness.

He asked the party leadership from the district to look for some strong and new leadership from Nagrota Bagwan in case the present leadership failed to deliver.

Nagrota Bagwan constituency has been dominated by OBC vote bank.

The only BJP leader who won from the constituency thrice was Ram Chand Bhatia. Bali won the assembly elections from the constituency for the third consecutive term this time.

The ruling BJP will have to look for a strong leader to give competition to Bali.

Shimla, October 10
Van thanas will function on the pattern of police stations and the forest staff deployed there will don khaki uniform, much like the police. The only difference will be that shoulder badges they wear will have “van thana” inscribed on them.

SITES EARMARKED

n Theog

n Deokhand

n Puruwala

n Naggar

n Jhibbi

n Nankheri

n Bhagarwan

n
Talhera

As per rules notified by the government, the van thanas will have to maintain a daily diary in which every complaint by telephone even by an unidentified person or filed under pseudonym will have to be entered.

Investigation into each such complaint will have to be completed within two weeks. In case an offence has been committed, the case will be either compounded or a “forest offence report” (FOR),
like the police FIR, will be registered.

Offences, which are not compoundable, will be investigated by the van thana head, an official of the rank of deputy ranger, within a period of 11 months and report submitted to the range officer, who will forward it to the divisional forest officer (DFO), within a month for further action. If the case is not settled at the level of the DFO, a challan will be filed in the court within three months.

Every “thana” will be provided a pistol and two rifles and an armoury for keeping the weapons. Other facilities like vehicle and mobile phones will also be provided. Besides a deputy ranger, there will about five forest guards and a cashier.

Petty offences, involving an amount of less than Rs 2 lakh, will be liable to be compounded if committed by right holders for bona fide domestic use. However, offences involving illicit felling will not be compounded without inquiry. Cases involving amount from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 10 lakh will be taken to court and those of higher amount will be assigned to the police. Encroachment in a protected wildlife area will always lead to registration of an FIR. No case of violation of the State Land Preservation Act will be compounded except where there is no element of trade and unauthorised felling from private land is for bona fide domestic use, not involving more than five trees.

So far, nine van thanas have been set up at Habbanm Mohal, Balu, Chhaila, Bassi, Tikker, Nagrota Suriyan, Kalel and Ropa and eight more are in the pipeline. They include Theog, Deokhand, Puruwala, Naggar, Jhibbi, Nankheri, Bhagarwan
and Talhera.

Shimla, October 10
Chief Minister PK Dhumal has congratulated ace shooter Vijay Kumar Sharma for winning three golds and one silver at the Commonwealth Games (CWG). Dhumal called him and greeted him on telephone.

He said the government was promoting shooting in the state and a 10-m shooting range had been established at the Indira Gandhi indoor stadium in Shimla. The government was committed to create best infrastructure for development of sports and to help produce sportspersons of international calibre. He hoped that more shooters from the state would make their presence felt in national and international sporting arena in future.

He was confident that Samresh Jung and Meena Kumari would also excel in their respective shooting events and bring glory to the state.

JR Katwal, director, Youth Services and Sports, who is working as the nodal officer at the CWG, also congratulated the young shooter. He said Vijay had won 56 gold, 10 silver and 10 bronze medals in national events and 16 gold, eight silver and six bronze medals in international events.

Shimla, October 10
State Secretariat of the CPM has ridiculed the proposal to make organic manure from rotten apples and said that it was an admission of the of fact that the government agencies had failed to transport the fruit procured under the market intervention scheme (MIS).

Member of the state committee Tikender Panwar said not only the fruit procured under the MIS but also of growers were spoilt in huge quantities because of failure of the government to make proper arrangements for the timely transportation and marketing of the produce. Heaps of apples were rotting by the roadsides and the government had now come out with a plan to make organic manure by vermicomposting of the rotten fruit.

He maintained that more than 15 per cent of the total produce had rotted, causing huge losses to growers.

The fruit, which should have been processed, were left to rot due to inefficiency and indifference attitude of the government agencies.

As a result, the procurement agencies also suffered heavy losses, Panwar added.

The proposal to make bio-fertiliser was strange as apples were not used to prepare manure anywhere in the world, he asserted.

Once the juice was extracted, the remnant could be utilised to prepare bio-fertilisers but not the whole fruit. It was just a face-saving ploy which was unviable and scientifically
incorrec, he said.

The CPM has asked the government that instead of indulging in such gimmicks, it should initiate efforts to lift the rotting apples from the roadside which had become a source of pollution and a health hazard for local villagers.

Dharamsala, October 10
The Women’s Environment and Development Desk (WEDD) of the Tibetan Women’s Association (TWA) today carried out a local initiative to combat the carbon crisis threatening planet earth and its inhabitants.

At a “Mass Cycle Rally”, 35 cyclists comprising men, women and children of different nationalities, donned T-shirts and badges carrying the message “It is time for Climate Justice” and pedalled through streets of McLeodganj.

Ten Buddhist nuns flagged off the rally today at the main McLeodganj crossing. The cyclists then headed to the landmark Bhagsu Waterfall and ended the rally at the main temple of the Dalai Lama.

According to organisers, the initiative was aimed at encouraging local participation in environment conservation efforts in this age of global warming. The event was also an endeavour to send a strong message to people to leave smaller carbon footprints in our daily lives.The significance of this rally was to remind people of alternative means of transportation.

“Bicycles do little to degrade the environment. They don’t create noise, stink, pollution and congestion. It provides economical and environmental benefits over other forms of transportation. Thus, the TWA and WEDD want to convey that local people to join the race to a lower carbon future,”said the organisers.

Shimla, October 10
Vehemently opposing the government’s proposal of setting up an engineering college at the site of Gumma carton factory at Pragatinagar, the Congress today said it would take action against any such move as it was against the interest of the growers.

In a statement issued here today, HPCC general secretary Kuldeep Rathore said it appeared that the government had made up its mind to set up an engineering college by winding up the carton factory. “Rather than making the factory operational, the government is acting against the interest of apple growers who are being fleecing by carton factory owners,” he said.

“I have personally discussed the matter with Union Commerce and Industries Minister Anand Sharma about reviving the carton factory and he has assured that in case
the state government sends a proposal, he would explore all possibilities,” he said.

Shimla, October 10
The government has decided to upgrade the Salogra-Ashwani road connecting the Rs 200-crore Mohan Heritage Park in Solan district at a cost of Rs 135.96 crore.

Stating this while presiding over a meeting to review the progress in maintenance of roads in the Solan area, here recently, Public Works Minister Gulab Singh said the detailed project report had been prepared and submitted to NABARD for funding under its rural infrastructure development
fund scheme.

He said the park, fast nearing completion, would be a major tourist attraction. Metalling and tarring of the road along with improvement of narrow curves would be carried out to facilitate smooth and safe driving.

He said keeping in view the flow of traffic on the existing road from Solan to Rajgarh, a bypass would be constructed for Rajgarh. Resurfacing and re-tarring of Chail-Gaura and Chail-Kot Jhaned road would also be carried out soon. He said since the Patanjali Yog Peeth was coming up at Sadhupul on the road, special thrust would be laid on strengthening it.

Gulab Singh said the upgrade of 29-km stretch of the Chail-Gaura road had been approved and it would be funded under the phase III of the World Bank project. He directed officers to ensure proper surface renewal, construction of parapets and ‘V’ shaped drains on the road.

Health Minister Rajiv Bindal said necessary change in alignment of the Salogra-Ashwani Khad road should be carried out, besides improvement of various curves. He also urged the Public Works Minister to take up construction of Rajgarh bypass to ease traffic congestion in Solan town at the earliest.

Shimla, October 10
Considered the most attractive stamp issued by princely states prior to the Independence, postage stamps of erstwhile princely state of Sirmour in Himachal form part of the four stamps released by the Postal Department on October 6.

Addressing a press conference here, Himachal Chief Post Master General Humera Ahmad said the stamps, bearing portraits of kings along with their regal insignia, were issued 1879 onwards.

The stamps of Sirmour were in denomination of pie and annas while the series of four stamps released by the department are of Rs 5 denomination.

“Some of these erstwhile princely states have left a legacy that is valuable in philatelic circles,” she said. She said a stamp on the GPO, Shimla, built in 1883, was released earlier in May as part of the heritage series.

Ahmad regretted that most rural post offices in the state were running in losses. “Only 40 per cent expenditure being made on the 265 post offices in Himachal is being recovered as expenditure as most are running in losses,” she said. Citing an example, she said the post officer at Keylong was generating only 12 per cent revenue.

She said of 265, 213 offices had already been computerised while the rest would be covered by October 31.
— TNS

Dharamsala, October 10
The Kangra Central Cooperative Bank (KCC) has once again sought permission from NABARD for financing micro-hydel projects. Chairman of the bank RS Mankotia told The Tribune that the bank had sent the case earlier, too, on the recommendation of the state government, the proposal was, however, rejected.

NABARD officials apprehended that hefty loans for micro-hydel projects could threaten the interests of small investors of the cooperative bank. Besides, NABARD has fixed a maximum cap of Rs 60 lakh on the loans extended by these banks.

KCC general manager Jaswant Singh Rana said the proposal was rejected by NABARD on the plea that the bank did not have qualified staff to assess the viability of these projects. The bank had outsourced the work of assessing the viability of micro-hydel projects to NIIT, Hamirpur.

The state has allotted about 624 micro-hydel projects in the last 10 years; however, just 24 have been commissioned as yet. Most who were allotted the projects have failed due to lack of finance.

Presently, the cost of constructing a micro-hydel project ranges from Rs 8 to Rs 10 crore/MW.

Mandi, October 10
Expectant mothers in the poverty-stricken pockets of Karsog and Chauhar valley and Kupvi in Chopal is a neglected lot despite an announcement of providing 24X7 free delivery service by Chief Minister PK Dhumal on August 15 under the National Rural Health Mission (NHRM).

The scheme still remains a far cry as residents of Barot rued that patients from Chotta Banghal, Thaltokot and other panchayats also come for treatment at Barot health centre, which itself offers no such service to the pregnant women.

“We have to rush even other patients to Mandi Zonal Hospital as Paddar Civil Hospital has yet to start the 24-hour free delivery service,” said Meghraj, a resident of Chauhar.

A patient said: “It costs Rs 500 per person and takes about five hours to reach there. The NRHM remains confined to urban centres.”

The story is no different in the Kupvi area of Chopal, too, where over 12 panchayat representatives met the Chief Minster of late and apprised him of absence of health services in the area.

Similarly, Karsog has also not got the 24-hour free delivery service for pregnant women. “We welcome the Chief Minister’s announcement but Ladbharol and Dehar centres offer no medical services for pregnant women,” a resident of Karsog rued.

The government’s claim that NHRM has benefitted rural population is hollow as patients in the remote areas still have to cover long distances for treatment.“There are no pharmacists and nurses in health centres, leave apart gynaecolgists,” they said.

However, Mandi Chief Medical Officer Dr AB Gupta said they started the service at Mandi Zonal Hospital, civil hospitals in Jogindernagar, Sarkaghat and Sundernagar. “And we have requested the government to hire staff for Dehar and Ladbharol in order to start the service in the first phase,” he added.

Dr Gupta said the plan to start services at Padhar and Karsog was under consideration. Though there is no plan for Barot as the patients can conveniently come to Paddar, he added.

Director, Health Services, Dr Vinod Pathak said the Health Department had started this service in 75 health centres in the first phase and might add the facility at 100 more centres next year.

Solan, October 10
Commuters plying on the National Highway -22 between Parwanoo and Pinjore had a harrowing experience last evening as the traffic was held up for over four hours, leading to queuing up of vehicles for several
kilometres.

n No gynaecologists in health centres

n Situation no different in Kupvi

n No such facility at Barot, Karsog

The traffic had to be put on hold at Kalka, Pinjore and Parwanoo around 5.30 pm as a religious procession was being taken through the main road at Kalka. Since the vehicles were directed to stop to facilitate the procession, it led to a long queue of vehicles on the NH-22, right from Datiyar extending up to Pinjore and even beyond.

Being a Saturday, there was a heavy influx of vehicles from Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh as tourists were heading for Shimla, Kasauli and other tourist destinations.

The unmanageable traffic created an awkward situation for police personnel at Parwanoo who were flooded with phone calls for facilitating exit of several VVIP vehicles through the traffic.

Though the police’s presence was scarce at Parwanoo, each time vehicle of a VIP passed, the cops spared no efforts to steer clear the traffic. While adequate policemen failed to be seen to smoothen the traffic, a plain-clothed youth with a handset was seen giving directions to the vehicles at Parwanoo around 8.30 pm in the midst of the traffic influx. He even went to the extent of stopping some vehicles for no apparent reason by positioning himself right in front, thus hindering its movement for a good half-an-hour. When questioned, the youth tried to prevail upon the motorists and said he would get their vehicles challaned.

Though Parwanoo SDPO Rakesh Kumar was informed by the motorists about the youth harassing common people, the police failed to identify or locate him. He, however, added that he could be some VIP and could have tried to clear the traffic to facilitate movement of his vehicle.

Health and Ayurveda Minister Dr Rajiv Bindal, who happened to be stuck up in the traffic jam, when informed, directed the SP to inquire into the incident and identify the youth as he had no business to harass passersby by indulging in such
high-handedness.

The traffic was cleared around 9.30 pm after the jam at Kalka and Pinjore eased up.